Tag: Go Green

The Paris Agreement is a 2015 agreement between 147 countries with the goal of reducing global carbon dioxide emissions to prevent a global temperature increase of 35.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above the pre-industrial level. The agreement requires each country involved to work towards this goal through NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions), such as, “domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions.” As of June 1st, the United States have announced that we will be backing out of this agreement.

The US is the 2nd largest carbon dioxide producer globally, contributing to 17.89% of the carbon dioxide produced by countries. To put this in perspective, the third largest contributor is India with 6.81%. The US not participating puts much more pressure on other countries to clean up a mess that we helped create in a major way. However, even though we are backing out, a group of 30 mayors, 3 governors, over 80 university presidents, and over 100 corporations have all agreed to abide by the regulations of the Paris Agreement regardless of how the US proceeds.

The main threat presented by global warming is the melting of land ice in areas like Greenland and Antarctica which each. This additional water is causing the sea levels to rise at an average rate of 1.8mm/yr. Currently, around 700,000,000 people live in areas less than 30 feet above sea level. The rising sea level is already causing devastation in flat countries like Malaysia, destroying fields and homes, driving people into cities that are not built to maintain the population increase. At the rate we our going, more communities at sea level, such as Miami, will be engulfed by the ocean. This will lead to hundreds of billions of dollars in property damage and resource loss in the united states alone. To learn more on this I highly recommend watching this documentary, available for free on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp6_sDiup6U

We’ve read a few pieces in recent weeks which seem to relish pitting autonomous vehicle technology against electric vehicles. One pundit even speculates that we should say “goodbye to EVs.”

We see a false equivalency argument between the problems that the two technologies solve. Electrified drive trains offer cleaner air, fewer parts to maintain, and most importantly, a break from the grip of fossil fuels. Autonomous, or self-driving cars, theoretically provide increased mobility, safety, and energy efficiency.

While the evolution of EVs has admittedly suffered starts and stops, the last decade has seen a steady rise in options for consumers. These commercially available production vehicles benefit from rapid advances in batteries, OEM manufacturing investments, and strong policies and incentives in many states, from California to Massachusetts, from Colorado to Tennessee, and many others. Manufacturers in Europe and the US are also striving to achieve regulatory goals which EVs help them meet. Thanks to all of these factors, and education and advocacy work by groups like Plug In America, more than a dozen vehicles are available for purchase in all 50 states, with two long-range, groundbreaking cars on the near horizon, GM’s Bolt and Tesla’s Model 3.

Meanwhile, the nascent autonomous vehicle sector is still in its infancy.

Google’s self driving car

Adding complication to the technologies’ development, clear policy mechanisms for autonomous vehicles have not been established or are still in the works. Most states have no regulations yet to address autonomous vehicles. Policymakers face an extremely steep learning curve with self-driving cars. Additionally, without an overarching federal approach, there is a great deal of room for conflict among states, which will also curb their deployment.

The final, and maybe the most difficult potential barrier to a fully automated fleet, in the US, anyway: the American consumer. Americans still love to drive. And the vast majority of American EV drivers cite the experience, the cars’ superior driving performance as a key reason for never returning to an ICE vehicle. Although the movement away from personal vehicle ownership is trending, changing user and consumer behaviors is often on an evolutionary scale: long and arduous.

All of this said, we see great potential synergies for combining these new models and modes of transportation. Tesla has taken the lead here, with autonomous tech standard in its Models S and X. Looking forward a decade or two, imagine car sharing networks of autonomous vehicles serving neighborhoods with notoriously poor air quality. Or widespread deployment of electric buses and trucks which will be automatically directed to the most efficient routes possible, all while mitigating the potential for catastrophic human error. We’d encourage pundits to look for ways to transform the transportation sector which will benefit consumers and the environment, not pick winners or pit markets against each other. We’d also encourage policy makers and car makers to look at combining these technologies, and even consider mandating that new autonomous vehicles be electrified.

We’re less than 24 hours away from one of the biggest online events in solar history, and we want to make sure YOU are a part of it!

Million Solar Strong is a celebration recognizing the fact that we have hit 1 million solar installations in the United States – a truly incredible milestone. But here’s the kicker: while it took us 40 years to reach this mark, it will take us just two more years to hit 2 million! #MillionSolarStrong is not just a celebration of where we’ve been, but also where are going as a force in America’s energy mix.
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If you haven’t already, click here to join our Thunderclap. We’ve already secured more than 500 users, with a total audience of nearly 76 million! But we’re not done yet. Make sure to sign up and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to do the same before the message gets blasted out to millions at 10:00 AM Eastern Time tomorrow!

This is going to be a very visual event. If you have a moment, download these printable signs, and use them to take photos and videos this week. Then make sure to upload them to social media with the hashtag #MillionSolarStrong, and we’ll be collecting everything in a big public album.

Chattanooga, TN: Spring will soon be upon us, along with yard projects and home renovations. But have you ever thought about adding a home improvement that saves money? Going solar on only adds value to your home, but can eliminate your electric bill.

If you have already invested in significant efficiency upgrades to its lighting and HVAC systems, you have reduced your energy load to those functions, so your plug load could equate to as much as 50 percent. So why not Go SOLAR!

Tennessee Solar Solutions and Green’s Eco Build + Design will be at the 50th Tri-State Home Show is February 26th –28th at the Chattanooga Convention Center. If you are planning to build or remodel your home and want to do it right stop by our booth. Come get expert advice for your green remodeling project or new home design. Register to win great products for your home.
Admission is $8 and children 16 and under are free. Friday seniors receive $1 off and Saturday and Sunday bring a can good to benefit the Chattanooga Food bank and receive $1 off. Discounts can not be combined.

Whether you’re still considering going solar or you’re ready to take the first step, you probably want to know what system size you need and how that aspect will affect the cost. Unfortunately, it’s not easy for installers to give you an estimate based just on the size of your house or the dollar signs on your utility bill. But you can use your average monthly energy usage to get an idea of the number of panels you will need.

Determine Your Monthly Electrical Use

Look at your monthly energy bills for the last year and determine the average number of kWh, or kilowatts per hour. Divide this by 30 to get your daily kWh. Conservatively assuming that one standard solar cell produces 1 kWh per day, the number you just calculated is the number of panels you would need in order to completely cover your home’s energy needs.

In the meantime, reduce your home’s energy demands by buying more energy efficient appliances—that way, you may not have to buy as many solar panels as the calculator shows. Modernize has plenty of ideas for increasing the efficiency of your home before you install a solar system.

Find Out the Average Peak Sunlight Hours

But energy use isn’t the only factor. The amount of sunlight that your panels get also affects how many you will need to install. The more sunlight they receive, the more they are able to convert that radiant heat and light into energy for your home. If parts of your roof are shaded at certain times a day, you will need more panels to make up for that. As you monitor the quality and amount of sunlight that your roof gets, keep in mind that you’re going to need to install the panels on a south-facing roof for optimum efficiency. If trees or other buildings cast shade on your roof, or if you live in an area that doesn’t receive many hours of sunlight, you’re going to need to plan accordingly.

Decide How You Want to Use Your Solar System

While many prospective solar users dream of covering all of their energy costs, covering just a percentage is also an option. You may only decide to install enough solar panels to keep you out of the higher tiers of energy consumption, or you may just want to start off with just a few panels and build from there. You can customize your system to your budget—just be sure to avoid making compromises where it counts. For example, you wouldn’t want to buy a cheaper inverter to save money because this will only end up costing you, but you could start off with just one panel and slowly transition to using solar.

Local Solar Company’s President and COO to State-wide TSEA and TenneSEIA Board Positions

Chattanooga, TN/USA, November 17, 2015:Tennessee Solar Solutions President, Anthony Roden was appointed to the Board of Directors for Tennessee Solar Energy Association (TSEA), the state chapter American Solar Energy Society. Tennessee Solar Energy Association believes that widespread adoption of solar technology in the state of Tennessee will help create energy independence, lessen harmful environmental impacts, and result in cost savings for consumers. Roden’s company, established in 2007, is the only solar company in the greater Chattanooga area with a sole focus on solar energy systems for the community, residential, business and Agri-business.

“I am honored to be a bigger part of TSEA. I feel we have to do our part to promote events and educational opportunities about solar energy. By sharing this knowledge we can empower our communities to generate their own electricity. Best part, we are making the world a better place than we found it.”

Ginny Kincer, Tennessee Solar Solutions’ Chief Operations Officer was recently elected to the Tennessee Solar Energy Industries (TenneSEIA) Association Board of Directors. TenneSEIA is the state chapter for the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and represents the interest of the solar energy industry in Tennessee. The mission of TenneSEIA is to make solar energy a mainstream energy source and realize the full potential of the solar industry in Tennessee.

Kincer already is Chairwoman of the Lifetime Achievement in Solar Award for TenneSEIA. This newly established honor was the vision of TenneSEIA members that was spearheaded by Kincer this year.

“TenneSEIA is a strong voice for the solar industry here in Tennessee, as well as SEIA nationwide. As an advocate for solar energy, becoming more involved was a natural fit.”

Tennessee Solar Solutions, LLC opened its doors in 2007 with the mission to help others produce their own free, clean, earth friendly electricity! Tennessee Solar Solutions, 2015 Top Solar Contractor in North America, designs, installs and maintains solar energy systems throughout the southeast.

How much do you really know about solar? Test your knowledge with EnergySage’s Solar Savvy quiz to find out if you’re a real energy savant

One of the key considerations when installing an array of solar panels is the direction that the roof is tilted, as well as the angle, or pitch, of the roof.

A roof can be repaired or reinforced before installation if it’s damaged, but you can’t do much about the location, orientation, or pitch of the roof, short of moving to a new house, so knowing where and when and for how long the sun hits the potential location of the solar array is important. Because that is variable throughout the year, just as power consumption is variable throughout the day, it can be confusing when trying to pin down the ‘best’ solar panel angle and array orientation.

A home solar array is only as useful as it is appropriately sized, oriented, and installed. A poorly-matched system installed in a suboptimal location can be a big disappointment, so it’s important to pay attention to a lot of little details when planning to go solar.

All the right angles help you get the most out of your solar energy system.

We’re all pretty aware that the sun appears to move through the sky during the day, from east to west, and that the days are longer (more hours of sunlight) in the summer, with shorter days (fewer hours of sunlight) in the winter. But there’s another variable when it comes to the sun’s energy, and that is the angle of inclination that the sun takes (its ‘height’ in the sky), which also shifts gradually throughout the year, so not only do we have to capture the most energy we can from a sun that’s moving across the sky, but one that’s also moving higher or lower in the sky, depending on the season.

And all of those variables are affected by yet another one, which is the physical location on the planet, because depending on where your house is, the amount of sunlight your solar panels will receive on any given day will vary from another location, such as more to the north or south of you. All of that is to say that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solar array that can be installed the same way every time and yet produce the exact same amount of electricity throughout the year, even not accounting for individual differences in homes or neighborhoods (tree cover, tall buildings casting shade, etc.)

When evaluating your own potential solar site, most likely your roof, it’s helpful to understand the particulars of your situation, such as the pitch, or angle, of the roof, as well as the direction that the intended surface faces, and to then relate that to the path of the sun through the sky during each of the four seasons.

Depending on where and when your house was built, the angle of your roof can be anything from flat (not very common, except in some arid regions) up to 45° or more (such as in snowy locations with steeply pitched roofs), but many homes have an angle somewhere right in the middle, around 30° or so. Because the most cost-effective and efficient way to install solar panels is parallel to the roof, your roof pitch will essentially be your future solar panel angle (unless a fixed-angle racking system is added to it), so it’s an important figure to know.

The other fixed variable is the direction that the home and its roof surfaces are pointed. In the northern hemisphere, the most sun will hit the southern faces of roofs, on average, throughout the year, so a south-facing roof has been the default for most solar installations. However, the sun also lights up the eastern surfaces in the mornings, and western surfaces in the afternoons, so roof planes that aren’t facing true south aren’t necessarily out of the question for solar panels (and western-facing solar arrays may actually be more useful to the grid, as they produce optimally during times of high demand).

Because the location of the sun in the sky each day varies by geographic location, the optimal solar panel angle is usually said to be equal to the latitude of the location, although because the angle of the roof and the latitude aren’t often an exact match, the solar array is usually simply installed parallel to the roof, in a fixed position. And according to a study at EnergySage, that’s probably the best way to do it, because the additional costs of racking to get the best solar panel angle may not achieve enough of a performance gain to make a big difference. In a location with higher electricity prices, it may make the most sense to use additional racking adjust the angle of the array for optimal production, and in other locations, lower electricity costs may not justify any additional expense for racking.

For those who want to boost their solar production in the winter and the summer, and not just have their solar panel angle be fixed year-round, an adjustable racking system may allow for optimal solar electricity generation. By tilting the panels 15° steeper in the winter and 15° down in the summer, it’s possible to increase the amount of energy your system can capture during those seasons, but there are also a number of different ways of determiningwhen and how much to adjust the angle on a solar array if a default 15° isn’t enough for you.

The other major factor in a home solar array is the available roof space for a system that is sized appropriately to both your budget and your electricity needs. For some homes, with multiple-plane roofs, it may not be possible to put the entire array all together at the same angle, and so some solar panels will have to be installed at different angles from the rest, as the photo at the top illustrates.

If cost was no object, the absolute best performing solar electric array would probably be one mounted on poles, using dual axis tracking so that it can effectively track the sun through the sky and remain directly pointed at it all day long, regardless of what season it is. However, for most of us, a fixed angle rooftop solar array, pointed south, is already economically viable in most places, so there’s no need to invest the extra money to get a great return. Basically, the best solar panel angle for you is the one that either matches your roof pitch, because it’s cost-effective to install an array that way, or the one that gets you the most bang for your buck, electricity-wise, in your location, and your local solar installer can help you figure that out.

Chattanooga, TN, 2015– Solar Power World, the industry’s leading business-to-business publication, released the 2015 Top 500 Solar Contractors List. We’re happy to report that Tennessee Solar Solutions, LLC is among the top solar contractors in North America. This is the most recognized annual listing of North America’s top solar contractors working in the utility, commercial, residential and off-grid markets.

It’s sunny and that’s good!10/16/2015
TSS did a fine job with quoting size of job, # of solar panels, revising the plan with my input after heating and a/c modifications in my home were made.
They were also very helpful In my accessing the TVA website to take care of necessary forms. I”m a person who learns visually and having a list of steps written out would have made for better advise for me. The process was very different than what I”m used to. I’m up and running for 3 days now and it”s fun watching the meter turn backwards. I’m looking forward to my next energy bill!

Tennessee Solar Solutions, has been empowering the Southeast with clean renewable energy since 2007. Anthony Roden, Founder, and Brandon Carter, Partner, are passionate about making a difference and educating people about the “How + Why” Solar works and all the incentives solar offers. TSS established monthly workshops partnering with greenlspaces and Green’s Eco Build + Design to bring information to the masses and answer questions.

“Solar is an affordable, clean source of energy. Everyone should be able to access and afford it. That’s why being a part of our community is so vital to our mission. That mission is to empower our community for a brighter tomorrow,” said Anthony Roden.

As a leader in PV installations, both residential + commercial, Tennessee Solar Solutions has commissioned 500+ of solar energy system in Tennessee Two if the most visible here in Chattanooga are Johnson Group + Riverview Animal Hospital.

Super happy–50kW Solar Advertising Agency07/14/2014
TSS delivered in every way. On time. On budget. And in the years since installation, the system has been on projected generation month after month. What I appreciate most is there willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure the success of out 50kW system and their extra effort to bridge the knowledge gap.

The price of U.S. solar power has dropped a whopping 70 percent since 2009, even as panels become more efficient. Now is the time to act on taking control of your electric bill before rates go up again!

The report, from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, examined the “levelized cost of electricity” around the world in the second half of 2015 — a metric that seeks to take a comprehensive look at costs including capital expenditures, interest rates and operating costs. It’s an approach that is able to “put technologies on a level playing field and enable that comparison, which is valuable,” says Seb Henbest, head of Europe, Middle East, and Africa analysis for Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

The report was based on analysis of some 55,000 projects around the world, says Henbest. And it found that globally, onshore wind now on average costs $83 per megawatt-hour of electricity ($2 cheaper than in the first half of the year), and thin film solar photovoltaics costs $122 per megawatt-hour — a drop of $7 in just half a year.

By getting a custom-designed system that is tailored specifically for your home or business ensures your carbon footprint is reduced or eliminated. There is no better time to act and save! BTW there a 30% Federal Tax Credit too, but this is set to expire December 2016.